Foldable box.



. M. NEUMERKEL.

FOLDABLE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAYlh 1915.

1,226,906. Patented May 22, 1917.

MAX NEUMERKEL, OF MADISON, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDATBLE BOX.

Application filed May 11, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX NEUMERKEL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Madison, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to foldable boxes, particularly lunch boxes, and has for its object to provide a box which can be folded up so as to be suitable to be carried in ones pocket.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, and in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts, Figure 1 being a perspective view of the box in unfolded position; Fig. 2 a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a cross section on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a longitudinal section of the box in folded. condition; Fig. 5 a cross section of the same on line 5-5 of Fig. 4 and Figs. 6-9 inclusive illustrating diagrammatically the mode of folding the box.

The box is of rectangular shape and made preferably of metal, although any other suitable material may be used therefor.

The box is constructed so as to be capable, when not in use, of being folded up into a flat and comparatively thin article which may be conveniently carried in ones pocket, and in which the walls, when folded, will be securely held in their position without employing any auxiliary locking means, such as hooks or the like.

With this object in view, the rear and front walls a and 0 respectively are hinged or otherwise pivotally secured longitudinally to the bottom I), as at a and 0 The bottom 6 and the rear and front walls are each formed at their ends with flanges a, b and 0, respectively, (Figs. 1 and 4). The end walls d are each pivotally suspended with their upper edges from pins or wires d, as axes, which pins or wires have their ends rotatively borne in cylindrical bearings provided in the upper longitudinal edges of the front and rear walls of the box.

The top or lid 6 of the box is provided on all sides with flanges 6 giving it the form of a shallow receptacle. This top is hinged longitudinally at e to the rear wall a, and is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma 22, 1917.

Serial No. 96,792.

adapted to accommodate in itself the other parts of the box, when the latter is folded up.

The pins or wires (Z on which the end walls (Z are turnable and the pin passing through the knuckles of the hinge joint 6 of the lid 6 maybe made of one piece. The front wall 0 has its upper edge cylindrically curved to form a tubular or cylindrical bearing 0 for the wire or wires cl. The end walls (Z in unfolded position of the box are adapted to abut against the inner surfaces of the flanges a, b and c of the rear wall, bottom and front wall, while being themselves prevented from being pushed or swung outwardly, also retain the rear and front walls in their unfolded position, perpendicularly to the bottom.

The flanges a, Z) and 0 will also serve as stops, holding the walls 0 and (Z against turning in any other direction but the one in which the same are to be folded.

- The manner of folding the box is as follows:

Upon lifting or tilting the lid 6 rearwardly and the end walls 0? upwardly, so

' that the latter clear the interior of the box,

the rear and front walls are turned on their axes forwardly, as indicated in Fig. 6. Thereupon the bottom I) is turned on its rear axis and folded with its inner surface onto the inner surface of the rear wall a- (Fig. 7 whereby the end flanges b of the bottom 6 and the end flanges a of the rear wall become frictionally engaged with one another, as indicated in Fig. 4.

Thereupon the raised wings or end walls 05 are folded down onto the inner surface of the front wall 0 and the folded and engaged bottom and rear walls are turned in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 8) and folded onto the outer surface of the front wall 0 and with the latter into the hollow of the cover or lid 6, the flanges e of which frictionally engage the end edges of the folded up parts.

The spring lock f suitably secured to the lid and serving to hold the lid closed when the box is unfolded, will also serve to retain the parts within the hollow in folded position by engaging over the surface of the outer piece of the folded parts (Fig. 5). 9 denotes a tiltable handle on the lid 6.

-The construction of the box may obviously be modified in various ways without deviating from the principle of my invention and I, therefore, do not limit myself to the details described and shown.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a foldable box having front and rear walls pivotally connected to the bottom, a lid pivotally connected to the rear wall, and end walls pivotally suspended at their upper edges and free to swing on their axes to clear the space between the unfolded front and rear walls, said lid being in form of a shallow receptacle to accommodate in itself the folded walls.

2. As an article of manufacture, a foldable box having front and rear walls pivotall connected to the bottom, a lid pivotally' connected to the rear wall, end walls pivotally suspended at their upper edges and free to swing on their axes to clear the space between the unfolded front and rear walls, and means for limiting the swinging movement of the said front and rear walls, said lid being in form of a shallow receptacle to accommodate in itself the folded walls.

3. As an article of Inanufacture, a foldable box having front and rear walls pivotally connected to the bottom, a lid pivotally connected to the rear wall, end walls pivotally suspended at their upper edges and free to swing on their axes to clear the space between the unfolded rear and front walls and means for restricting the swinging movement of the said end walls, said lid being in form of a shallow receptacle to accommodate in itself the folded walls.

4. As an article of manufacture, a fold-.

able box having front and rear walls hinged to the bottom, a lid hinged to the rear wall, members interposed between said front and rear walls and rotatably borne therein and end walls pivotally suspended from said members and free to swing thereon to clear the space between said front and rear walls and to enable the folding of the latter, said lid being in form of a shallow receptacle to accommodate in itself the folded walls.

5. As an article of manufacture, a fold able box, having front and rear walls pivotally connected to the bottom, a lid pivotally connected to the rear wall, end walls pivotally suspended at their upper edges between the front and rear walls and capable of swinging on their axes, and a lock serving to hold the lid in closed position when the box is unfolded and to hold the parts in folded position on the said lid.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAX NEUMERKEL.

l/Vitnesses:

MAX D. ORDMANN, E. D. JUNIOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

